Thread by @AMinerDetail

Marylanders are seeing higher vehicle registration fees.

Frustrated?

Let’s unpack where that money actually goes — and why fees have increased.

A thread.

Vehicle registration fees in Maryland went up in 2024 — for the first time in 20 years.

For a standard car under 3,500 lbs, you’re now paying $221 for two years (up from $135).

While it seems like an abstract money pot, vehicle registration fees do not go to some black hole — it goes into Maryland’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF), which pays for:

- Road and bridge maintenance;

- Public transit;

-Infrastructure upgrades.

Why the fee hike now?

Because gas tax revenue is shrinking.

Fuel-efficient and electric vehicles mean people buy less gas — and the state collects less tax.

But Maryland roads still need repairs.

Buses and rail systems need funding.

That’s where the registration fee increase comes in — to help fill the growing gap.

There’s also a new surcharge for electric and hybrid vehicles to make up for the fuel tax they don’t pay.

Here’s the idea: Everyone who uses public roads should chip in, no matter what they drive.

Okay, and what about the politics?

Any fee hike is always unpopular among motorists.

Some say it’s fair.

And others point to regressive taxation and how it hurts low-income drivers, older adults, and new drivers.

Here’s the debate: Who should pay for state infrastructure?

TL;DR:

- Maryland vehicle registration fees have increased by 67%;

- Vehicle registration fees fund the state’s transportation system;

- These fees reflects big shifts in how we drive and what we drive.